ARCHA, Russia -- A Tatar activist says he has been fired from his job after helping organize protests against the jailing of a fellow activist in Russia's Tatarstan region.

Danis Safargali told RFE/RL that his employers at a fishing resort told him on January 16 that he had been dismissed for "systematic violation of work regulations."

Sarfargail helped organize coordinated single-person protests on January 14 in Tatarstan and three other regions that are home to non-Russian ethnic groups.

The protesters demanded the release of Tatar activist Rafis Kashapov, who has criticized Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Kashapov was arrested in December and charged with inciting ethnic, racial, and religious hatred via the Internet.

Safargali said he would appeal his dismissal in court.

He said that the papers were filed on January 15 but dated January 13.

He believes his employer back-dated the papers to show that he was fired a day before the protests because they feared being associated with him.